A dynamically balancing vehicle has a chassis, which is supported on an underlying surface via at least one wheel, a drive for driving the at least one wheel, an inclination sensor system and a control device. These vehicles are either used with only a single wheel or with a plurality of wheels, preferably with exactly two wheels, but which then rotate about a common wheel axis of rotation, which extends parallel to a vehicle transverse axis. The chassis typically has a tread surface, on which a vehicle driver can stand. The control device controls the respective drive in such a way that the vehicle is balanced. For this purpose, an angle of inclination of the vehicle longitudinal axis relative to a horizontal plane, which extends perpendicular to the gravitational direction, is determined among other things. The control device now attempts permanently to reset this angle of inclination to the value zero by correspondingly controlling the drive. The vehicle driver can now change the inclination of the chassis with respect to the horizontal plane by shifting the center of gravity of his body, whereby an acceleration or a deceleration of the vehicle occurs, depending on the angle of inclination.
In the case of such a vehicle, which has exactly two wheels, which rotate about a common wheel axis of rotation, provision is made for a separate drive for each wheel. Provision is further made for a steering device for generating steering commands. Depending on the steering command, the drives for the two wheels can be operated differently, thus resulting in a corresponding steering operation of the vehicle. Such a steering device can have, for example, a switch, by means of which the vehicle driver can generate the steering commands.
In the alternative, the steering device can have a steering rod, which can be operated by the vehicle driver and which is mounted so as to be pivotable about a steering axis, which runs parallel to a vehicle longitudinal axis via a handlebar mount on the chassis.
Such dynamically balancing vehicles have become known under the same “Segway” by the manufacturer Segway Incorporated.
A dynamically balancing vehicle of this type is known from WO 2011/106767 A2, but which is equipped with a vehicle seat, on which the vehicle driver can take a seat, instead of with a footboard comprising a tread surface for a standing vehicle driver. Due to the fact that the center of gravity is a great deal lower when a vehicle driver sits, a center of gravity shift has a significantly less marked impact on the angle of inclination of the vehicle. In addition, substantially only the upper body can be moved in the case of a sitting vehicle driver in order to change the center of gravity of the vehicle driver. The shift of the center of gravity and thus the impact on the angle of inclination in the case of such a dynamically balancing vehicle comprising a vehicle seat is thus significantly reduced. To find a remedy here, provision is made in the case of the known vehicle to attach the vehicle seat to the chassis so as to be adjustable in the vehicle longitudinal axis. The vehicle driver can thus shift his center of gravity significantly better, whereby the impact on the angle of inclination is intensified accordingly. As a result, the vehicle reacts with an increased dynamic. To now be able to move the vehicle seat relative to the chassis, the known vehicle is equipped with a lever arrangement, which comprises a main lever comprising handle and an additional lever. On its upper end, the main lever supports the handle and, on its lower end, is connected in an articulated manner to a foot board, which is fixedly attached to the chassis and which serves to position the feet of the sitting vehicle driver. The additional lever now uses the main lever between the ends thereof with the vehicle seat. By pulling and pushing on the handle, the vehicle driver can shift forwards or backwards, respectively, together with the vehicle seat, which is associated with a corresponding center of gravity shift. All of the forces, which the vehicle driver introduces into the main lever, are hereby absorbed by the mounting on the foot board, whereby the latter is exposed to particularly large loads.
The present invention deals with the problem of specifying an improved embodiment, which is in particular characterized by a reduced load on the handlebar mount, for a dynamically balancing vehicle, which is equipped with a vehicle seat and with a steering rod.
According to the invention, this problem is solved by means of the subject matter of the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments are the subject matter of the dependent claims.
The invention is based on the general idea of supporting the steering rod on the chassis with the help of a coupling device, so that this coupling device absorbs a significant portion of the tensile and compressive forces, which are introduced into the steering rod by the vehicle driver, which leads to a significant relieving of the handlebar mount. In addition, it is proposed according to the invention to equip the chassis with a lower frame, and an upper frame, which is fixedly connected to said lower frame, which are arranged above one another in relation to a vehicle vertical axis. While the handlebar mount is arranged on the lower frame, the coupling device is connected to the upper frame. The lever forces, which are transmitted to the handlebar mount via the steering rod and which are created in response to introducing the tensile and compressive forces into the steering rod, are significantly reduced through this, because the effective lever arms are decreased. In detail, the coupling device is embodied and arranged in such a way that it connects the upper frame to the steering rod for the purpose of pressure and compressive force transmission in the vehicle longitudinal axis and thereby allows relative movements between the steering rod and the upper frame in the vehicle transverse axis. The coupling device thus creates a connection between the steering rod and the upper frame, which is stiff or rigid in the vehicle longitudinal axis, while relative movements are possible in the vehicle transverse axis, to be able to continue pivoting the steering rod about its steering axis.
As in the above-mentioned WO 2011/106767 A2, the vehicle seat can now be adjusted relative to the chassis in the vehicle longitudinal direction. For this purpose, the vehicle seat is then attached to the upper frame so as to be adjustable in the vehicle longitudinal direction. In the alternative, however, the vehicle seat can also be fixedly connected to the upper frame.
According to an advantageous embodiment, the coupling device can have a stationary area and a mobile area, which are coupled to one another for transmission of tensile and compressive forces. Advantageously, the stationary area can thereby be fastened to the upper frame, while the mobile area is fastened to the steering rod and can pivot with the steering rod about the steering axis and can thereby move relative to the upper frame in the vehicle transverse axis. This results in a particularly simple connection of the coupling device to the steering rod, without thereby creating the risk of an interference contour for the vehicle driver.
In another embodiment, the coupling device can have a guide rail, which is fastened to the upper frame, and at least one adjustable frame part, which is guided on the guide rail in the vehicle transverse axis and which is coupled to the guide rail for the tensile and compressive force transmission. Such a guide rail, which can in particular be considered to belong to the above-mentioned stationary area of the coupling device, is characterized by a simple setup with the highest stability. In its guide direction, the guide rail can further create a particularly low-friction guide for the respective frame part, while it provides for a particularly high force transmission in transverse direction thereto.
According to an advantageous further development, the frame part can have at least one carriage or can be fastened to at least one carriage. The respective carriage can now be mounted on the guide rail so as to be adjustable. Advantageously, such a carriage is designed complementary to the respective guide rail and can thus move with particularly little friction along the guide direction of the guide rail, while it allows for a high force transmission transversely to the guide direction. To reduce the risk of a canting of the carriage in response to the adjusting along the guide rail under load, the carriage can be dimensioned to be correspondingly large along the guide rail. Likewise, it is conceivable to attach two or more carriages next to one another on the guide rail, in order to effect a wider support. The frame part can in particular be fixedly connected to two carriages, which are preferably spaced apart from one another along the guide rail. In the alternative, the carriages can also directly abut against one another.
In another further development, the guide rail can have at least one guide contour, while the respective carriage has at least one guide mount, by means of which the carriage is mounted on at least one such guide contour so as to be adjustable. A particularly low-friction adjustability can be realized through this. At the same time, a low-play to play-free movability of the respective carriage along the guide rail can be realized as well.
In addition or in the alternative, the respective carriage can cooperate with the guide rail in such a way that it can be adjusted along the guide rail, while it is fixedly connected to the guide rail in transverse direction thereto. In particular the tensile and compressive forces, which are relevant here, can be transmitted between steering rod and upper frame via the fixed connection.
In another advantageous embodiment, the guide rail can be designed as straight, linear guide rail. The guide rail thus obtains a particularly simple and thus cost-efficient setup. In another embodiment, the guide rail can also be designed to be curved, preferably arcuately curved. The corresponding radius then advantageously corresponds to the distance of the guide rail to the steering rod.
In another advantageous embodiment, the coupling device can have a handlebar part, which is fastened to the steering rod, and a compensating joint, by means of which the handlebar part and the frame part are connected to one another in an articulated manner. The pivotability of the steering rod about its steering axis relative to the upper frame inside the coupling device can thus be ensured in a comparatively simple manner.
In a further development, the compensating joint can have a guide pin and a pin receiver, in which the guide pin is mounted so as to be adjustable in the vehicle vertical axis. The guide pin is preferably fastened to the handlebar part, while the pin receiver is fastened to the frame part. On principle, however, a reversed design is conceivable as well, in the case of which the guide pin is fastened to the frame part, while the pin receiver is fastened to the handlebar part. As a result of the adjustability of the guide pin in the pin receiver parallel to the vehicle vertical axis, relative movements occurring in the area of the coupling device can be compensated in the vertical axis. Such relative movements occur in the vertical axis in response to pivoting the steering rod about the steering axis.
According to another advantageous embodiment, the steering rod can be inserted into a rod receiver, which is arranged on the handlebar mount, so as to be removable in the vehicle vertical axis. For a simplified access to the vehicle seat, the steering rod can thus be removed, which simplifies the entering and leaving of the vehicle.
A further development is now particularly advantageous, in which, in connection with the insertable steering rod, the guide pin is fastened to the handlebar part. It can be attained through this that, when inserting the steering rod into the rod receiver, the guide pin can simultaneously also be inserted into the guide receiver. Advantageously, the guide pin is thereby inserted into the pin receiver from the top, so that the insertion direction of the guide pin and the insertion direction of the steering rod are identical.
In another advantageous embodiment, the compensating joint can have a mount, in the case of which a mounting body is mounted in a mounting housing so as to be pivotable about a mounting axis, which runs parallel to the vehicle longitudinal axis. The mounting body now forms the pin receiver or has the latter, while the mounting housing is fastened to the handlebar part or to the frame part. In response to pivoting the steering rod, the handlebar part changes its spatial position. This then also applies for the respective part of the compensating joint, thus either for the guide pin or for the pin receiver. In contrast, the spatial orientation in relation to the vertical axis remains unchanged in the case of the frame-side components. The compensating joint introduced here comprising mounting body and mounting housing can compensate this change of the spatial position.
Particularly advantageously, the mounting body can have a circular cylindrical or a spherical outer contour. The compensating joint thus has a particularly cost-efficient setup. The compensating joint can in particular be a flange bearing, which can be fastened particularly easily to the handlebar part or to the frame part.
The mounting pin advantageously has a circular cylindrical outer contour. The pin receiver can be an elongated hole, which is oriented in the vehicle transverse axis. However, an embodiment, in which the pin receiver has a circular cylindrical inner contour, into which the guide pin can be inserted in a quasi play-free manner, is preferred.
Further important features and advantages of the invention follow from the subclaims, from the drawings, and from the corresponding figure description by means of the drawings.
It goes without saying that the above-mentioned features and the features, which will be described below, cannot only be used in the respective specified combination, but also in other combinations or alone, without leaving the scope of the present invention.
Preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the drawings and will be described in more detail in the description below, whereby identical reference numerals refer to identical or similar or functionally identical components.
In each case schematically,